Red Rock Canyon Reservation System Begins October 1st
It’s that time of the year again! While Red Rock Canyon allows people to enter their beautiful 13 mile scenic drive all willy-nilly during the summer time, as soon as the temps start to cool (supposedly) they dust off the Red Rock Canyon reservation system. Tuesday marks the return of reserving Red Rock.
Every year from October 1st through May 31st, the National Park Service requires a Red Rock Canyon reservation to enter the scenic drive. The system began in 2020 when COVID was at a fever pitch and people were looking for open air fun to get into. Crowds poured into Red Rock Canyon and other beautiful bits of nature around the valley, which forced their hand.
How Red Rock Canyon Reservation System Works
So you want to check out Red Rock? You’ll need to make a reservation – with one exception: early and late. Reservations are required between 8am and 5pm every day, but if you’re able to get in earlier, or later, than that window you’ll be able to get in without a reservation.
The opening hours for Red Rock Canyon are a bit of a moving target though, depending on the month.
- October: 6am-7pm
- November-February: 6am-5pm
- March: 6am-7pm
- April-September: 6am-8pm
So there is a bit of wiggle room, particularly earlier in the day, if you forget to get your reservation. That said, getting a reservation isn’t difficult at all. All you’ll need to do is visit Recreation.gov and find your window that you want to go. There are quite often passes that are available at several windows throughout the day.
It does serve as a helpful look to see how busy the park will be on certain times and dates.
There is, of course, a cost to all of this:
- Personal Vehicles: $20
- Motorcycles: $10
- Reservation Fee: $2 (yes, everyone will pay this – including America The Beautiful Annual Pass holders)
It is all worth the expense as the scenic drive and hiking it offers are second to none. Just make sure you’ve got your Red Rock Canyon reservation lined up before you start driving down Charleston and out of reception.
